The feeding and exercise habits of New York women are an artful weave of the best diet practices on the planet, Daspin writes. Here’s the “speed version” of her philosophy: Eat well, but not too much. Walk like a maniac. Cook at home. Leave a little something on the plate. Indulge your sweet tooth. Don’t go hungry. Don’t deprive yourself. Eat whole foods; dump anything with “diet” in the name. Water is good. A glass of wine is fine, too. Here are some more tips:

• Eat what your body craves. Just because it’s 8 a.m. doesn’t mean you have to have eggs, fruit, oatmeal or Pop Tarts. At midnight, how about a bowl of granola (actress Christine Baranski’s default snack)?

• Have fun. If you pick an exercise you like, it will seem less like work.

• Olive oil is good for you — this is crucial. Lots of people have written about the trap of low-fat diets. Low fat makes you fat.

• Always leave a little left over. It can even be small, a crumb; just be aware you’re doing it and watch it go into the garbage.

• Savor every bite and take time for it. Never eat while in motion — not walking or in a car.

• Don’t always have a salad at lunchtime — it’s not always satisfying. Instead, choose a sandwich, a controlled way to have your carbohydrates, and you can pack in extra nutrients by using spinach instead of lettuce, as well as extra tomatoes.

• Skinny Manhattan women don’t patronize fast-food joints. Their idea of fast food is a Starbucks cappuccino. Frozen meals from Amy’s or a couple Boca Burgers are as close to processed food as thin Gotham gals get.

24 ‘KEY’ FOODS

A smart NYC gal’s perfect pantry according to “The Manhattan Diet”

• Almonds

• Pickled ginger (no calories!)

• Mar tuna (Drain, break over a bowl of lettuce, and dinner is done.)

• Boiled egg whites (Keep bowls of them handy in the refrigerator for a quick kick of protein.)